Coupling-hook.



J. G. LOZENSKI. COUPLING HOOK. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. 1909. RENEWEDMAR. 7, 1911.

Patented July 11,1911.

V attunug COUPLING-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed July 9, 1909, Serial No; 506,852. Renewed March 7,1911. Serial No. 612,927.

Tooll whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JOHN G. LozENsm, citizen of the United States,residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful. improvements incoupling devices, and the invention has for its object an improveddevice of this character which is susceptible of many applications,although primarily intended for use in connecting the cars' employed inmines for transporting the coal or other material mined. It is wellknown that these cars are customarily connected by an ordinary hookwhich is apt to become accidentally detached, particularly should thecars jam together, the hook being also inconvenient in that 'it requiresthe cars being drawn together to effect the uncoupling thereof.

The present invention aims to obviate these disadvantages and provides acoupling device which is very eflicient in use and may be readilysubstituted for the ordinaryhook above mentioned.

- VVit-h these and other objects in view that will more fully appear asthe description proceeds, theinvention consists incertain' constructionsand arrangements of the parts that I .shall hereinafter fully describeand then point out the novel features of in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of eonstruction,

reference is to behad to the following description and accompanyingdrawing, in which:-

Figure 1 cation of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;and, Fig. 3 'is a transverse section on the line v33 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all theviews of the drawing by the samereference characters. 1 My improved coupler consists essentially "of twooppositely disposed downwardly facing hooks 1 and 2 which are preferablycast or otherwise formed of integral structure,

- the hooks being substantially similar and being arranged in the sameplane. These is a View illustrating the appli--' hooks embodysubstantially straightbills 3 and a shank 4: that is common to bothhooks.

In order to close the hook 1,1 em loy a mousing or latch'5 which isconnecte at its lower end to the shank 4 by means of a pivot joint 6,the mousing normally tendingto swing downwardly by gravity acrosstheentrance of the hook with itse free end bearing against thecorresponding bill 3. The mousing is controlled'by a substantiallyU-shaped bail 7 which straddles the shank andhas its terminals pivotedto the free end of the mousing on opposite sides thereof, the side-members of the bail sliding between pairs of spaced guide lugs 8 formedat the opposite faces o-fthe shank, whereby to maintain the bail againstany swinging movement. A cross bar 9 is disposed between the spacedmembers of the bail and is adapted to abut against the shank to limitthe downward movement of the mousing and support the same in anoperative position. The portion of the bail above the cross barconstitutes a hand or finger loop 1Q,=through the medium of which. thebail maybe readily manipulated. By drawing upwardly upon the bail themousing is swung to an inoperative po sition against the adj ac :nt edgeof the shank,

the shank being prefer ably recessed, asindi cated at 11, to accommodatethe-mousing in such position and thus aiford an unobstruct= ed entrancetothe-hook. The other hook 2 is closed by a bolt 12 which is adapted tobe inserted through registering apertures 13 and 14 formed in the billand shank respec-- tively. The aperture 14 leadsint-o arelatively largecentral opening 15which extends through the opposite faces of the shankand is designed'for the reception of a nut 16, the extremity of the boltbeing adapted to be projected through theopening l4 and threaded intothe nut to maintain the bolt in position across the entrance 'of thehook. f

This coupler is designedparticularly for use in connecting box carsemployed in mines for hauling coal or the like, the box oars beingequipped at their meeting ends with the customary clevises 17 that aremounted to swing about horizontal transverse axes. In applyingthecoupler, the bolt 12 is first removed and the hook 2 e11,- gaged withone of the clevises, the bolt being then returned 'to place in order toconnect the hook permanently to such clevis. The

operator then draws upwardly on' the bail 7 to lift the mousing 5,whereupon the hook -1. is engaged with the remaining clevis.

Upon releasing the bail the mousing returns by-gravity to its operativeposition across the entrance of the-hook, whereby to revent theaccidental detachment of the ast named clevis' and to effectually.couple the cars together. By reversing the above 0 eration theuncoupling of the cars may e expeditiously accomplished. I

Attention is artlcularlydirected to the fact that the si e members of-the bail project angularlyfrom the free end of the mousing and extendbetween the same and require withthe ordinary coupling hook in generaluse. Should the cars jam together there is no danger of my improvedcoupling [releasing the clevis, and in such a contingency the weight ofthe coupler swings the two clevises downwardly andgthe former thusassumes a position below the bottoms of the cars and 1s preventedfrom'becomingmashed or otherwise in'jured. From the foregoingdescription in conneo tion with the accompanying drawing, it

will be apparent that I have provided an improved coupling device whichis considerably more efiicient than the hook ordinarily employed forconnecting mine cars;

' I which may be advantageously employed for a varietyof purposes; whichembodies to a marked degree the characteristics of simplicity,durability and strength; and which consists of comparatively few partsthat are not likely to 'get out of order.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A coupler including a hook, a mousing Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

pivoted to the hook for closing entrance thereof, a member pivoted tothe mousing and slidable across the hook, and means disposed on the hookfor limiting the pivotal movement of the member.

2. A coupler including a hook, a mousing pivoted at one end to the hookand movalol across the entrance thereof, and a bail stra dling the hookand disposed in angular relation to the mousing and connected terminallyto the free end of the mousing.

3. A' coupler embodying a hook, a-mousing pivoted at one end to thehook, and a bail straddling the hook and pivoted at its terminals to thefree end of the mousing for controlling the movement thereof.

4. A coupler embodying a hook, a swinging mousing for closing the hook,and a bail straddling the hook and pivoted terminally to the mousing forcontrolling the m-ovebail in proximity to'the bend thereof to pro vide ahand hold, the cross bar being arranged. to abut against the hook tolimit the movement of the bail in one direction.

6. A coupler including a hook formed in its inner edge with a recess,and a mousing pivotally mounted at one end in the recess and arranged toextend across the entrance of the hook, the mousing being movable toinoperative position against the inner edge of the hook and beingentirely received in the recess to provide an unobstructed entrance tothe hook. v

y In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN G. LOZENSKI. [L.S.] Witnesses: BEAMONT THOMAS, EDWARD O. Hors'ma.

Washington, D. G.

